It can sometimes be difficult to keep up to date with the latest assistive technology products for disabled people. This is why we have created a handy update on the dyslexic.com blog at the beginning of each month to give you the latest news. In this month’s update, I look at the top 5 latest assistive technology products you should look out for in June 2016.

Top 5 latest assistive technology products

Many of you have been enquiring about the Exam Reader scanning pen in the past month – we’re not surprised as it really is a great tool for dyslexic students. Like the C-Pen Reader scanning pens, the Exam Reader allows the student to scan over printed text from the exam paper and hear the text read aloud. It features a natural sounding text-to-speech voice and uses impressive optical character recognition (OCR) technology to read aloud printed text.

The digital highlighter has been approved by The Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) for use in exams. It comes complete with a headphone jack so other students are not disturbed during the exam. You can find out more about using assistive technology in exams by following this link to the Joint Council for Qualifications Examination Instructions.

Brain in Hand is a cloud-based solution and app which supports autistic children and adults to cope with day-to-day situations. The assistive technology app works on a subscription basis (please contact us for more information and pricing) and provides personalised support for people with autism. The key features include instant access to coping strategies, a diary to help structure time and plans to remember difficult tasks.

Brain in Hand also has a traffic light monitoring system which tracks anxiety levels. If an autistic person taps the red traffic light they will be able to request support from The National Autistic Society. This helps reduce stress and helps to increase confidence in everyday situations.

The Livescribe pens have always been a great tool for dyslexic students. The latest addition to the range is the Livescribe 3 Smartpen which is compatible with iOS and Android mobile devices. The pen works in conjunction with the Livescribe+ app and instantly syncs everything you write on paper directly to your mobile device via Bluetooth. Using the app, your notes become more useful and can be organised, tagged, searched and converted to text. From there you can do almost anything with your notes, for example, simply tap on the text and you can copy this into an email or message.

Typing tutors helps dyslexic children and adults to type quickly and accurately. Nessy Fingers Touch Typing incorporates 9 fun games to practice typing skills. It is the only typing tutor software which introduces keys alphabetically. In five short lessons, you will learn the alphabet. Each game uses the National Curriculum word lists to practice with and allows the user to win trophies as a reward for accurate typing.

Changing paper colour or using reading overlays for dyslexia can be a great reading aid. Irlen® Overlays are backed by over 30 years of research and are 9” x 12” coloured acetate overlays. The overlays are placed over printed materials to help reading and each sheet has a glare and non-glare side for increasing comfort.

The overlays are available in 10 colours and each colour has been carefully determined by Irlen® research. On dyslexic.com, we sell 10 Irlen® Coloured Overlays at a sale price of just £19.99 (RRP: £29.99) which allows you to try out all colours and see which colour makes reading more comfortable for you.

Please comment below to let us know what latest assistive technology you are excited about this month.

To help you stay up to date with the latest trends surrounding assistive technology, we have compiled the latest and most popular software, hardware and apps to support those with dyslexia and other disabilities. This will form part of a monthly update on the latest assistive technology on the Dyslexic.com blog. Please sign up to our newsletter to make sure you don’t miss June’s item >> http://ian.lt/1O2BAv9

Apps

The trends surrounding assistive technology in May have moved even closer towards apps for smartphones and tablet devices. New apps that have been released include support for those with dyslexia, dyscalculia,low vision and many more disabilities. Assistive Technology apps have become increasingly popular in the past year and are being used in environments such as schools and in the workplace. Whether they are being used on their own or to accompany a desktop version of software, assistive technology apps are a great tool to support those with disabilities.

iShould supports individuals with time-management difficulties, such as dyslexia. It offers anew way to organise and manage your activities, allowing you to plan, share and achieve your goals. The app works together with an online system where you can develop ideas and plan activities according to your personal preferences. The iShould app is available on iOS and Android devices.

CapturaTalk Junior is a literacy support app for iOS devices from iansyst and has been designed to assist younger users with dyslexia and other specific learning disabilities.The app includes the powerful Optical Character Recognition technology from ABBYY allowing users to take a photograph of printed text and convert this into digital text that can be edited in Word or other text editors. CapturaTalk Junior also contains accessibility features such as text-to-speech technology, coloured overlays and dyslexia friendly fonts.

Software and Hardware

The C-Pen Reader is a small, portable and lightweight scanning pen which supports those with reading difficulties such as dyslexia, or those learning English as a second language. The pen can be run across any printed text from books, newspapers, printed labels and more, and be read aloud from a naturally speaking English text-to-speech engine. This allows you to hear the correct pronunciations of words, as well as hear the word definition read aloud. The C-Pen Reader scanning pen is compatible with both PC and Mac, allowing users to transfer scanned text to a text editor.

Clicker 7 is a popular literacy support software which is designed to develop reading and writing skills in users of all ages and abilities. It features a wide range of writing tools including word prediction, realistic speech feedback and a built-in, child-friendly word processor. Clicker 7 is often used in schools as it contains a number of tools for teachers. One useful tool that is used is ‘Word Pool’ where teachers can add in unusual words or names to Clicker’s knowledge base to ensure it is recognised by the software.

The final new addition in the world of assistive technology are the Eye Lighter Reading Rulers which are now available as a 10 pack containing green, purple, orange, pink, blue and yellow reading rulers. The 6” transparent plastic highlighter helps you to maintain focus, concentration and comprehension whilst reading. The design of the Eye Lighter allows you to track 1, 2 or 3 lines at a time whilst also helping you to not lose your place or reread lines.

You can keep up to date with the latest assistive technology products right here on the Dyslexic.com blog. Alternatively, you can view more information from iansyst by following this link >> http://ian.lt/1SsdalA

We’ve been talking a lot about what’s new in the world ofassistive technology and today we wanted to focus on one new product to supportthose with dyslexia: iShould.

What is iShould?

iShould is an app and online application which allows you tomanage and organise your daily tasks and activities. Simply enter your activityusing the flexible creation methods – add text, video, audio or attach anemail. It features intelligent decision making technology to help you organiseyour activities into a handy timeline. This is based on the importance, urgencyand difficulty of each task.

The iShould app allows you to synchronise your activitieswith friends, family, colleagues and associates. This is useful for studentswho require their Non-medical Helper to view what tasks they have on for theday. This feature is also useful for instances where you need to share tasksand coordinate on projects with colleagues.

Watch the video below to see how the iShould app works.

How does it support those with dyslexia?

Dyslexia is aspecific learning difficulty that mainly affects an individual’s reading andwriting skills. It does, however, have many other associated problems. One ofthe problems associated with dyslexia can be with an individual’s timemanagement and organisation skills.

iShould is a helpful tool for those with dyslexia because ittackles the problems linked to time management and having to organise your day.The decision making tools allow you, or your Non-medical Helper, to select theimportance, urgency and difficulty. Based on this selection, the app willidentify the most productive time to carry out the activity. You will no longerhave to judge when you will fit in an activity – iShould will do this for you.

Request a 30 day freetrial of the iShould Planner App and Task Management Software. Please email info@iansyst.co.uk to find out more.

The use of phones and tablets has recently expanded to a size that would have been unimaginable when the first iPad was launched in April 2010. In the preceding six years mobile devices have overtaken laptops or desktops as the most popular method of using the web and a huge range of actions that once required expensive computer software can now be carried out through the use of relatively cost effective apps. With over 1.5 million apps available for download on the Apple app store alone, there is a bewildering amount of choice available to each user. As you would expect, some of these apps have been designed to help those with dyslexia. There is a range of different solutions, each offering something slightly different from the others.

One of the largest advantages offered by using apps as a method of assisting with difficulties caused by dyslexia is the portability of the software. Previously accessibility software required a computer to work, and although laptops are transportable, simply using your phone allows you to access an accessibility solution wherever you are. In addition to this, using apps on your mobile device offers a level of discretion has not been previously available. As the sight of a person using a phone or tablet has become so common the regular passerby would have no indication that an individual was using assistive technology.

An important factor when designing an app is to make it as user-friendly as possible. Often designers and developers will spend a great deal of time altering the functionality and layout so that the app can be as simple to use as possible. As a result of this, most apps are highly intuitive and so do not require any training in order to use them, unlike more complicated assistive technology software that is designed for computer operating systems.

Finally, one of the most prominent of the benefits of using Apps is that they are often more affordable than software designed for standard computers. The main reason for this is because of the amount of functionality that an app can contain. As an app is a small file, each app has a limited amount of functionality, as a result, most apps aim to carry out a small selection of processes, whereas computer software with its greater storage space has the ability to contain a much larger range of processes and functions. Of Course, this can be seen in both a positive and a negative light. Apps are normally very affordable but are limited to how much they can do. If you are looking for a piece of software that offers a variety of functions to help you, then computer software might be better for you. However if you are looking for a programme that will carry out one or two functions, ten apps are an excellent option.

This week, Nuance held a live webinar to announce the launch of an exciting portfolio of Dragon speech recognition solutions. Dragon has been helping people with their work for over 15 years and the latest additions to their range will not disappoint. These new products enable seamless synchronization of key Dragon features across PC, Mac, iOS, and Android through the cloud.

“The time-consuming nature of documentation and paperwork can place considerable productivity constraints on organisations and individual professionals alike,” said Peter Mahoney, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Dragon. “By expanding our Dragon portfolio, we are extending the benefits of robust speech recognition and transcription across the workforce. Now, organisations can better manage their speech deployments, professionals can increase their productivity in the office, and field workers can complete their documentation in a more timely and convenient manner.”

Dragon Anywhere, which will be available this autumn on iOS and Android, is a new, cloud based mobile app that offers professional dictation to users. Create and edit documents, reports and more, using customised vocabulary, voice shortcuts and auto-text commands. The app automatically synchronises auto-text commands and custom words with Dragon for Mac or Dragon Professional Individual desktop editions for seamless productivity in the office or on the go. Dragon Anywhere will be available as a subscription based application from autumn 2015.

Dragon Professional Individual is a brand new version of Dragon for PC and now includes advanced capabilities to customise words, automate repetitive tasks, and create auto-text to insert frequently used text. It makes it easy to dictate, edit and format documents, emails, forms and more, and reduces the physical strain of typing. With the integration of the new Dragon Anywhere app, professionals are able to work anywhere with seamless productivity. Dragon Professional Individual will be available from September. It will also be available as an upgrade for users with Dragon Premium or Professional, versions 12 and higher (call us on 01223 420101 to find out more).

Dragon Professional Group is the latest enterprise-ready solution and includes Dragon Professional Group speech recognition software, Dragon Anywhere for mobile employees and the Nuance User Management Centre. The Nuance User Management Centre allows administrators to monitor and manage licences, manage or share customised words, commands and auto-texts, across multiple users. It can be deployed and managed across organisations as part of a corporate licence. Dragon Professional will be available in autumn 2015.

Dragon for Mac is the final addition to the Dragon family and the latest version brings a huge leap in accuracy. It is 15% more accurate than its previous version and delivers much greater speed. A new user interface makes it easier to access key features, add custom words and add commands. Dragon for Mac will be available from early September. It will also be available as an upgrade for users of Dragon Dictate for Mac versions 3 and higher (call us on 01223 420101 to find out more).

Our latest addition to Dyslexic.com, the Stump Stand, is an exciting ergonomic mobile phone and tablet stand – watching videos, reading an eBook or browsing the internet on your device has never been so easy!

The Stump Stand has a minimalist approach to design and functionality. The ergonomic stand reduces the risk of repetitive strain injury that has been linked with texting on mobile phones and tablets. It has a unique design that allows hands-free viewing positions: ramp, lean and upright. The ramp position is ideal for laying your device horizontally for typing, emailing or browsing the internet. The lean position is great for watching videos or reading eBooks. The upright position is mostly used for gaming or charging. The Stump Stand is made from a soft silicone material and has a weighted bottom for increased stability, allowing the stand to grip tightly to the surface it is on to prevent slips.

The Stump Stand is compatible with all devices up to .5 inches in thickness and is a perfect stand for iPads, iPhones, Kindles and various other Android tablets and smartphones. Plus, it is available in 7 different colours so there’s a perfect stand for everyone: black, white, royal blue, red, pink, green and sea glass.

This month, iansyst launched a brand new and exciting page on Dyslexic.com – a page dedicated to providing information about the latest assistive technology apps for iOS and Android phones and tablets! Assistive technology (AT) apps are becoming increasingly popular to help those with dyslexia, visual impairment, physical difficulties and many more disabilities. Whether they are being used on their own or to accompany a full desktop version, AT apps are a great tool to help make smartphones and tablets accessible. You can view the page here.

The page currently features a variety of app categories, including text-to-speech, concept mapping and notetaking support. Some of these you can even download for free on the App Store or Google Play. Our Apps page will continuously be updated to promote the ever growing range of apps on the market, so keep an eye out for future additions to the page.

The Apps page also features iansyst’s own apps that we have developed, including our popular literacy support app, AcceleRead AcceleWrite. AcceleRead AcceleWrite is a fun and easy to use, interactive certified remedial reading scheme designed for use on an iPad. The app provides ‘virtual’ cards, each with a series of sentences which the student will read one by one until they have memorised the sentence. They then tap on the screen to input the sentence exactly as it appeared to them. The integrated text-to-speech will enable them to listen to what they have typed to check for errors. This process is repeated until the sentence is correct and they can move onto the next level. There are eight levels of increasing difficulty and your progress is tracked in your results page, showing you how many attempts were made at each level and which levels have been completed.

iansyst are happy to provide support and advice about the ever growing range of apps and which could be beneficial to you. Please get in touch if you would like more information:

iansyst are excited to announce the launch of CapturaTalk Junior, an app designed for students who require literacy support through KS1-KS4. The app is available to download on the App Store for iOS devices.

CapturaTalk Junior helps students with reading printed text and integrates the powerful ABBYY OCR (Optical Character Recognition) feature. Students are able to take a picture of text and convert it to digital text, ready to have it read aloud and then the option to edit it further. For example, the app includes its own integrated text editor with text-to-speech, assisting students with the sound of letters and words and supporting reading and comprehension. Other features include custom ‘phrase banks’ for students to create and store words and sentences, an integrated dictionary with homophone support and a range of user interface options including screen tint overlays, the ability to easy change the size of font and to choose a dyslexia friendly font.